Chelsea to step up efforts in securing transfer targets

Chelsea will step up on their efforts to strengthen their squad with improved bids for Alex Sandro at Juventus and Tiemoue Bakayoko at Monaco.

The Blues are raising an improved bid worth up to £55m for Sandro and a fee in excess of £40m for Ligue 1 winner Bakayoko, as coach Antonio Conte was reportedly unhappy with the club’s lack of progress in securing their transfer targets.

His discontent was apparent as Conte, 47, had left a contract extension worth £9.6m a year through to 2021 — which makes also him the best paid coach in the Premier League — unsigned.

Conte, 47, who won the Premier League in his debut season with Chelsea, is seeking to augment his squad ahead of next season where his team will try to defend their title while making their return to the Champions League.

Sandro, who has earned seven caps with Brazil, stands as a potential replacement for Marcos Alonso at the left-wing back position. Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta had indicated earlier that Chelsea’s initial bid for Sandro had to been turned down last weekend, although he did not provide assurances over the player’s future with the club.

“I don’t know what he [Sandro] thinks about the interest,” Marotta said. “Players are masters of their own destinies.”

Bakayoko on the other hand represents a long-standing interest for the Blues, with the France international potentially joining Chelsea on the back of a fee in excess of £40m after winning the Ligue 1 with Monaco.